A city farm that provides an opportunity for urban dwellers can get close to nature and integrates local communities.

Kentish Town City Farm

date1972

The purpose of Kentish Town City Farm is to provide an opportunity for people who lived in urban areas can get close to nature and easily accessible as it is located in the middle of London. The farm carries out various projects that improve the local environment, enhance community cohesion and raise awareness of environmental issues. The farm also integrates older and younger generations together at the farm and build relationships between people who live in the community and create an educational opportunity by allowing local children interact with animals such as horse and goat and provide a wide range of activities including pottery, arts, cooking and gardening. This urban intervention will mainly response to the need of community and urban dwellers.

Kentish Town City Farm was created by a team of volunteers, youth workers, farm workers and architects from a local organization called Inter-Action in 1972. David Powell is one the founder of city farm and also a member of Inter-Action. The farm is situated on a four-acre site and made up of farm buildings, animal shelters and wildlife gardens. The farm, riding school and gardens were converted from a cottage and part of the disused timber yard, buildings include stables, a workshop, a store house and steel framed hangars. There is also a heritage exhibition for the enjoyment of the community that improves the relationship of the community in Kentish Town.

The funding mainly comes from the London Borough of Camden, but receive essential support and funding from other trusts & foundations (The London Borough of Camden – Open Space for Young People Grant Programme, Sainsbury’s Camden, Green & Co Kentish Town, Garfield Weston Foundation, etc.) and public and community donations. Some of the tasks include maintenance and facilities constructions were undertaken in the past by volunteers.

Kentish Town City Farm has already successfully going for 40 years by integrating local community and providing wide ranges of activities and hopefully well into the future.